Victor Oladipo is ready for one more shot. The two-time All-Star and former No. 2 overall pick published an open letter in The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday, addressed directly to every NBA general manager – a direct, unfiltered ask for another chance after three years away from the league.
The letter, in his own words
Oladipo, 34, hasn’t suited up in the NBA since April 2023, when a torn left patellar tendon ended his season with the Miami Heat. It came five years after a devastating right quadriceps tear in 2019 that effectively stole the prime of one of the game’s most dynamic two-way guards. He has not played more than 42 games in any NBA season since.
But the tone of his letter isn’t resignation – it’s conviction. “I believe my body is finally right,” Oladipo wrote. “I believe I still have GREAT basketball in front of me. And what I’m asking for right now is an opportunity to prove it.”
The timing is deliberate. Training camps open September 29 – less than four weeks away. Rosters are nearly set, but the last few spots haven’t been locked down. Oladipo knows this window.
What he’s shown this year
The case isn’t purely sentimental. Oladipo spent 2025-26 in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 26 games – modest numbers, but enough to confirm his legs still work. In July, he hosted a private pro day in Las Vegas during Summer League, inviting front office personnel from multiple teams to watch him in live drills.
Multiple outlets noted that teams came away with positive impressions. Nobody said “cooked.”
Which teams make sense?
The Heat, his last NBA employer, have been mentioned as a realistic landing spot by Sports Illustrated. Miami has a track record of giving second-chance opportunities to veterans with something left to prove. For any contender with wing depth questions and a veteran minimum slot to fill, Oladipo as a 3-and-D presence – still a capable knockdown shooter and arguably the best on-ball defender of his peak years – at least deserves a camp invitation.
The letter asks for exactly that: not a guaranteed contract, just a door left open. Whether that door opens in the next few weeks says as much about the league as it does about Oladipo.
Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports
